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This morning Visceral Games announced that the next release of Battlefield Hardline will be in the form of a new Beta. Visceral Games suggests that "we consider this to be a real beta - we need your feedback on balance, economy, and to help identify and iron out the last remaining bugs." This beta will be open to all those who wish to participate on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC. There won't be any cross-play action between PC and game consoles, but there may be cross-pollination between console generations.

The first big public - Insiders Only, but still - release of Windows 10 has been ushered in. What we're looking at in short order is the bits and pieces Microsoft has brought to this first Windows 10 download that change from our most recent update to Windows 8.1. This includes the new Xbox app, a new Photos app, a new Maps app, Windows Store Beta, wireless audio and video connectivity, a new Settings app, and - of course - a new Start menu, complete with Cortana and her always-listening features.

Now that Microsoft’s Windows 10 event is wrapped up, we’re left reeling by all the promise their cross-device single platform holds for us. Also impressive is the scope Microsoft imagines the digital world in, and their new technology on deck. While we were happy to find ourselves learning about Windows across platforms, we also get a lot of great new things to look forward to. From today, here are the top ten things you probable need to know about Windows 10.

This year - later this year, that is - Microsoft will be enabling streaming from the Xbox One to all Windows 10 devices. All Windows 10 devices able to handle the load, of course - but given the streaming we've seen over the past couple of years from NVIDIA GameStream and Steam In-home Streaming, we can't imagine there'll be many devices that aren't able to handle said load. According to Xbox head Phil Spencer, "[starting with] Windows 10 we will enable streaming of Xbox One games to ANY Windows 10 PC or tablet in your home later this year."

Phil Spencer, Microsoft's head of Xbox and gaming chief stepped onstage today to speak about the Windows 10 Xbox app. This app includes several columns, each with information about your Xbox One experience. You'll see Recently Played games, your Activity Feed, and Friends included. On the far right of the screen, you'll find your user icon and connections to Messages, Notifications, "My Games", Achievements, Game DVR, Editorial content, and the Xbox store. Below that, you'll find basic Settings and a Connection option.

As hotly-anticipated games go, Elder Scrolls Online is probably one of the most anticipated, and so news that Bethesda Softworks has not only confirmed its console release but dropped one of the more controversial subscription details is most welcome. Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited will land on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on June 9th, following its March 17th arrival on PC and Mac. Even better, Bethesda is ditching the monthly subscription the promise of which so annoyed gamers last year, though there'll still be in-game purchases for extra content, and an optional "ESO Plus" subscription.

Supposing you've not yet purchased either Borderlands 2 or Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the team at Gearbox Software and 2K have ushered in a box set made specifically for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There are two different editions popping up today (2 sets and two versions of each set, one for PS4, the other for Xbox One). The first is just "The Handsome Collection" - this includes both games and a whole lot of add-ons released since Borderlands 2 was first revealed. There's also a remote control Claptrap toy to be had.

Trying to get some gaming in to start your weekend? Yeah, about that: Xbox Live is down, or at least limited. We don’t have a reason for the outage/slowdown, but it’s widespread and affects every part of Xbox Live right now. If you’re experiencing problems purchasing content, or accessing social/gaming content via cloud storage, just know you’re not alone. We don’t yet know what the issue is, but it’s affecting just about everything gaming. Media like TV or music are listed as unaffected.

This week it's become apparent that the epic pixel-heavy side-scrolling shooter known as Broforce will not be released on Xbox One. According to the creators of this game at Free Lives Games, "as far as I know Microsoft has a clause in their contract where they won't accept an indie game if it launches on Xbox after PlayStation." This comes from Creative Director Evan Greenwood at Free Lives Games, who also confirmed this week that Sony "reached out to us with a deal we couldn't reasonably refuse."

The following video is a preview for a game that may not be appropriate for children. In fact we're sure of it. The release of a new Saints Row game with a Mature rating attached to it is as sure a thing as the giggles that follow. Here we're having a peek at the first release trailer for Saints Row: Gat out of Hell, beyond the gameplay, preparing you for the first launch as it approaches in under a week. Don't forget to watch out for clues to the next chapter as well - this is the end, after all!

Back in November of 2014, we first heard rumblings of Microsoft bringing the Xbox One's price down to $349 for the holidays. This would include the console by itself and/or a game or games to go with it. Not long after the price drop was confirmed, Microsoft suggested things were going well - the console was jumping off shelves. It was suggested by analysts that the price drop might become permanent. Come last week, the pricing returned to normal - but not for long.

AllCast, the storied casting app for Android, is finally making its way to iOS. After a healthy run on Android, the casting app has finally landed on iOS, letting users toss their videos and pictures onto the big(ger) screen. The app works with locally stored content as well as files you have in more popular cloud storage solutions like Dropbox or iCloud. You can also stream from your Instagram or Google+ account onto your TV, too. AllCast supports Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, Xbox, and Apple TV.